My OperaHallowed or Harmful
By DizzyUberGeek13. Saturday, October 21, 2006 2:42:30 PM
Hallowed or Harmful
Hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, the Celts, inhabitants of Britain and Ireland, observed a festival on October 31.
Unlike modern-day Halloween, theirs was no children's holiday. The Celts and their priests, the Druids, celebrated Samhain, a festival that marked the eve of the Celtic New Year, which began on November 1.
The fall harvest was complete and the winter loomed ahead. The Celts believed the power of the sun was fading. For the next several months, darkness would prevail.
The Celts believed that during Samhain the veil separating the living from the dead was at its thinnest. They believed that on the evening of October 31 evil spirits and the souls of the dead passed through the barrier and entered the world of the living. Departed family members would revisit their earthly homes.
The thought was frightening - and exciting!
The Celts believed these spirits and dead souls could torment the living. Crops might be destroyed, babies stolen, farm animals killed. But this was also an opportunity to commune with the spirits - and divine the future. The devil, the lord of darkness, was ordinarily feared, but during Samhain, his power would be called on to foretell the future.
Trick or Treat
The Druids were charged with appeasing the goblins and preventing harm to the people. Huge Samhain bonfires were lit to guide the way of the spirits. Various sacrifices - including human - were performed to assure a good year.
Several ancient authors commented on the gory religious rites of the Druids.
It is believed that, like many pagan cultures around the world, the Celts left food out for the spirits, hoping that a "treat" would prevent an evil "trick."
Centuries later, descendants of the Celts continued to observe the Samhain festival by dressing as evil spirits. They roamed from house to house demanding food in exchange for the "spirits" leaving the home unharmed. They carved demon faces in hollowed-out turnips and lighted them with candles.
That night, they also practiced many customs designed to divine the future. Young people roasted nuts in Samhain fires to see which would crack first - and tell them who they would marry. The person who retrieved the apple by his mouth from a tub of water was assured of a lucky year. Obviously, some of these customs (like "apple bobbing") have remained with us, strictly as amusement.
All Hallows Eve
When Christianity began to spread through Europe in the third and fourth centuries, the pagan temples were torn down. But pagan worship never completely disappeared. The festival of Samhain remained a primary pagan festival.
Belief in spirits may have waned, but many of the old Samhain traditions continued to be practiced - especially by the children. Primarily in Ireland, children dressed as spirits went from house to house demanding a treat. If they received none, they performed an unwelcome trick. They were play-acting the part of evil spirits that had to be appeased, just as in the old Samhain festival the people believed they really did have to appease spirits.
In the 700s, the Church decided to combat this festival by replacing it with a celebration of the Lord of life. Instead of honoring evil spirits and the souls of the dead, the Church chose to recognize the saints - or hallowed ones - who had lived godly lives. The Church seemed to be saying, "All right, if you must have a day to celebrate the dead, then celebrate those who died and are now with the Lord."
So November 1 came to be called All Saints' Day, also called All Hallows' Day. The evening before was called All Hallows' Evening. From that, we get the modern name of Halloween.
But pagan customs continued. And with the growth of witchcraft in the Middle Ages, additional symbols became associated with Halloween - black cats, witches, bats, and skulls.
Halloween In America
Irish immigrants in the mid-1800s brought to America the Halloween customs we're familiar with - costumes, trick-or-treat, carved Jack-o-lanterns, etc. The Jack-o-lantern is simply an American version of the hollowed-out turnip, mentioned earlier. The pumpkin did not grow in Ireland, but in Britain. Unfortunately, they also brought "tricks" with them - which often involved breaking windows and over-turning sheds and outhouses.
Even though the practice of actually performing a trick if no treat is given has faded, the custom of children going "trick-or-treating" has become an established American tradition. Only in recent years have parents hesitated to send their children into the streets because of the increased danger of accidents, poisoned food, and menacing strangers.
Nonetheless, despite the dangers associated with trick-or-treating, Halloween is celebrated more than ever. In fact, the night is the second most popular party night of the year (after December 31) for "baby-boomer" adults. Many adults look at it as the one night of the year they can dress up and act foolish.
But while children and adults innocently imitate ancient Celtic customs, darker practices persist. Witches and Satanists still consider Halloween to be one of the strongest times during the year to cast a spell. On Halloween, most witchcraft practitioners participate in a ritual called "drawing down the moon." In this, the chief witch of the coven (group of witches) becomes, they believe, a channel for the moon goddess. During this ritual, the participants, both male and female, are "sky-clad" - that is, naked.
Stonehenge, the mysterious ancient stone formation in England, is often the site for bizarre gatherings of the occultists, some of whom believe they are modern-day Druids. Many people believe that Stonehenge was a Druid religious site. And evidence persists that some Satanist and voodoo groups offer sacrifices - usually animals, but possibly human babies.
What About The Lord of Life?
Halloween’s earliest origins reflect a fear of a lord of death that was common among ancient pagan cultures.
However, despite man's advances in science and philosophy, death remains for many a troubling event that they cannot avoid.
The Bible says that we have a spirit that, unlike our physical body, endures beyond the grave. However, the Bible also says our spirit is subject to death as well. But God offers us eternal life for our spirits. How do we get it?
First, we must understand that we all will be held accountable for the choices we make. If we choose to ignore God, we'll face eternal separation - death - from Him (Romans 6:23, Hebrews 9:27).
Gal 5:19-25"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."
Nothing we can do, no matter how good it may be, can make us good enough to have a relationship with God without Jesus Christ (Titus 3:5, Ephesians 2:8-9).
But God sent Jesus - our Lord of Life - to be the bridge back to right standing with God. Christ's death on the cross paid the penalty that we faced for going our own way (Romans 5:8, 1 Peter 3:18).
If you want to receive the eternal life God offers, you must invite Jesus into your life to be your Lord and Savior (John 1:12, Revelation 3:20). Why not invite Jesus into your life right now? Pray this prayer:
"Jesus, I ask You to come into my life. I want to turn from living my life under my own control. Come now and live Your life in me. Cleanse me from my sins. I receive You as my Lord and Savior. I will live for You all the days of my life. Amen."
If you prayed this prayer from your heart, you can have absolute assurance that you have eternal life.
Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life (John 5:24)."
Hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, the Celts, inhabitants of Britain and Ireland, observed a festival on October 31.
Unlike modern-day Halloween, theirs was no children's holiday. The Celts and their priests, the Druids, celebrated Samhain, a festival that marked the eve of the Celtic New Year, which began on November 1.
The fall harvest was complete and the winter loomed ahead. The Celts believed the power of the sun was fading. For the next several months, darkness would prevail.
The Celts believed that during Samhain the veil separating the living from the dead was at its thinnest. They believed that on the evening of October 31 evil spirits and the souls of the dead passed through the barrier and entered the world of the living. Departed family members would revisit their earthly homes.
The thought was frightening - and exciting!
The Celts believed these spirits and dead souls could torment the living. Crops might be destroyed, babies stolen, farm animals killed. But this was also an opportunity to commune with the spirits - and divine the future. The devil, the lord of darkness, was ordinarily feared, but during Samhain, his power would be called on to foretell the future.
Trick or Treat
The Druids were charged with appeasing the goblins and preventing harm to the people. Huge Samhain bonfires were lit to guide the way of the spirits. Various sacrifices - including human - were performed to assure a good year.
Several ancient authors commented on the gory religious rites of the Druids.
It is believed that, like many pagan cultures around the world, the Celts left food out for the spirits, hoping that a "treat" would prevent an evil "trick."
Centuries later, descendants of the Celts continued to observe the Samhain festival by dressing as evil spirits. They roamed from house to house demanding food in exchange for the "spirits" leaving the home unharmed. They carved demon faces in hollowed-out turnips and lighted them with candles.
That night, they also practiced many customs designed to divine the future. Young people roasted nuts in Samhain fires to see which would crack first - and tell them who they would marry. The person who retrieved the apple by his mouth from a tub of water was assured of a lucky year. Obviously, some of these customs (like "apple bobbing") have remained with us, strictly as amusement.
All Hallows Eve
When Christianity began to spread through Europe in the third and fourth centuries, the pagan temples were torn down. But pagan worship never completely disappeared. The festival of Samhain remained a primary pagan festival.
Belief in spirits may have waned, but many of the old Samhain traditions continued to be practiced - especially by the children. Primarily in Ireland, children dressed as spirits went from house to house demanding a treat. If they received none, they performed an unwelcome trick. They were play-acting the part of evil spirits that had to be appeased, just as in the old Samhain festival the people believed they really did have to appease spirits.
In the 700s, the Church decided to combat this festival by replacing it with a celebration of the Lord of life. Instead of honoring evil spirits and the souls of the dead, the Church chose to recognize the saints - or hallowed ones - who had lived godly lives. The Church seemed to be saying, "All right, if you must have a day to celebrate the dead, then celebrate those who died and are now with the Lord."
So November 1 came to be called All Saints' Day, also called All Hallows' Day. The evening before was called All Hallows' Evening. From that, we get the modern name of Halloween.
But pagan customs continued. And with the growth of witchcraft in the Middle Ages, additional symbols became associated with Halloween - black cats, witches, bats, and skulls.
Halloween In America
Irish immigrants in the mid-1800s brought to America the Halloween customs we're familiar with - costumes, trick-or-treat, carved Jack-o-lanterns, etc. The Jack-o-lantern is simply an American version of the hollowed-out turnip, mentioned earlier. The pumpkin did not grow in Ireland, but in Britain. Unfortunately, they also brought "tricks" with them - which often involved breaking windows and over-turning sheds and outhouses.
Even though the practice of actually performing a trick if no treat is given has faded, the custom of children going "trick-or-treating" has become an established American tradition. Only in recent years have parents hesitated to send their children into the streets because of the increased danger of accidents, poisoned food, and menacing strangers.
Nonetheless, despite the dangers associated with trick-or-treating, Halloween is celebrated more than ever. In fact, the night is the second most popular party night of the year (after December 31) for "baby-boomer" adults. Many adults look at it as the one night of the year they can dress up and act foolish.
But while children and adults innocently imitate ancient Celtic customs, darker practices persist. Witches and Satanists still consider Halloween to be one of the strongest times during the year to cast a spell. On Halloween, most witchcraft practitioners participate in a ritual called "drawing down the moon." In this, the chief witch of the coven (group of witches) becomes, they believe, a channel for the moon goddess. During this ritual, the participants, both male and female, are "sky-clad" - that is, naked.
Stonehenge, the mysterious ancient stone formation in England, is often the site for bizarre gatherings of the occultists, some of whom believe they are modern-day Druids. Many people believe that Stonehenge was a Druid religious site. And evidence persists that some Satanist and voodoo groups offer sacrifices - usually animals, but possibly human babies.
What About The Lord of Life?
Halloween’s earliest origins reflect a fear of a lord of death that was common among ancient pagan cultures.
However, despite man's advances in science and philosophy, death remains for many a troubling event that they cannot avoid.
The Bible says that we have a spirit that, unlike our physical body, endures beyond the grave. However, the Bible also says our spirit is subject to death as well. But God offers us eternal life for our spirits. How do we get it?
First, we must understand that we all will be held accountable for the choices we make. If we choose to ignore God, we'll face eternal separation - death - from Him (Romans 6:23, Hebrews 9:27).
Gal 5:19-25"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."
Nothing we can do, no matter how good it may be, can make us good enough to have a relationship with God without Jesus Christ (Titus 3:5, Ephesians 2:8-9).
But God sent Jesus - our Lord of Life - to be the bridge back to right standing with God. Christ's death on the cross paid the penalty that we faced for going our own way (Romans 5:8, 1 Peter 3:18).
If you want to receive the eternal life God offers, you must invite Jesus into your life to be your Lord and Savior (John 1:12, Revelation 3:20). Why not invite Jesus into your life right now? Pray this prayer:
"Jesus, I ask You to come into my life. I want to turn from living my life under my own control. Come now and live Your life in me. Cleanse me from my sins. I receive You as my Lord and Savior. I will live for You all the days of my life. Amen."
If you prayed this prayer from your heart, you can have absolute assurance that you have eternal life.
Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life (John 5:24)."
